The Training Program in Nephrology at the University of Michigan is designed to prepare post-doctoral trainees with either M.D. or Ph.D. degrees for a career in basic, epidemiology/outcomes or clinical Nephrology research. Training will be carefully designed and individually tailored for each trainee and will combine a didactic program with a mentored research experience. The proposed Training Program will provide 2 or more years of postdoctoral research training in Nephrology to MD trainees in 3 areas: a) basic laboratory research, including biomedical engineering research;b) outcomes and epidemiology research or clinical research;and c) systems biology. Ph.D. trainees will receive intensive basic laboratory or biomedical engineering research training. Four trainees will be appointed yearly. The Training Program will be provided by 36 faculty members from 14 departments and 3 schools/colleges, all of whom have substantial training experience. Given the considerable scientific collaboration among the various members of the Program Faculty, there will be ample opportunity for a given trainee to gain research experience in more than one research setting during his or her training experience. Trainees will enroll in intensive didactic programs depending on their research track. Those in the basic science track will complete a three month Postgraduate Research Training Program. Those in the clinical research or epidemiology/outcomes track will complete a Masters of Public Health program in Biostatistics and Epidemiology or a Masters of Science program in the Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis course. Those in the systems biology track will have the option of completing a Masters Degree in Bioinformatics or an introductory course in systems biology. Weekly seminar series conducted by the Training Program will complement the formal curricula. Based on this training and the excellent track record of graduates from the Training Program in Nephrology, fellows will be well positioned for independent careers in Nephrology research. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The future of nephrology as a discipline and the advancement of nephrology as a science are dependent on our ability as a community to recruit, well educate, and retain talented individuals. The T32 Training Program in Nephrology at that University of Michigan has demonstrated outstanding success in this mission over 25 years and will continue to provide an outstanding training resource for this purpose in the future.